Second Black Female MP is Elected

Diane Abbott, re-elected Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, today welcomed the election of Dawn Butler in Brent South.

Diane Abbott, who was the first black woman MP to be elected to Parliament in 1987, said: “The selection and victory of Dawn Butler is a testament to Labour’s commitment to increasing the representation of blacks and Asians in Parliament. This is an issue I have personally campaigned on for years and I think this is a big step forward, not only for Brent and the Labour Party, but for the country as a whole”.

Abbott added: “Dawn, who is only the second woman of Jamaican origin to be elected to Parliament, is hard-working and principled and I am certain she will be a great asset to the people of Brent South. I went to Brent to support Dawn’s election campaign and I look forward to working with her in Parliament.”

Abbott added: “It is however very sad that another black woman should simultaneously lose her seat in what can only be described as very controversial circumstances. I regarded Oona King as a personal friend and although we differed over the Iraq war I very much regret her departure.”

“Two decades after I was first elected to Parliament Oona King’s departure means there are still only two black women in Parliament. This is a situation that all political parties must address urgently. Black women have an enormous amount of energy and talent to contribute to the House of Commons. It is time that we have a Parliament that looked more like Britain.”

 

 

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